Real estate work has been at the center of Otten Johnson since the firm opened more than 40 years ago, and the practice is regularly recognized in Real Estate by Chambers USA and other industry rankings. Today our team represents builders, developers, lenders, investors, operators, managers and brokers in commercial real estate matters across Colorado and throughout the country. The work moves fast, and our role is to keep deals on track while the details get worked through carefully.
How we help
Acquisitions and dispositions
We handle commercial real estate acquisitions and dispositions of all sizes, from single-asset deals to portfolio transactions, including forward and reverse 1031 exchanges when the structure calls for them. Due diligence questions come up throughout these deals, and we address them working smoothly alongside our clients’ other consultants.
Leasing
We work both sides of the leasing table, from standard commercial leases to ground leases and build-to-suit arrangements. For landlords, our team handles lease negotiation, drafting, and ongoing lease management. For tenants, we counsel businesses through lease terms, negotiation, and the broader real estate decisions that come with taking commercial space. On ground leases and build-to-suits, we work through the issues that set these deals apart, including long-term financing, ownership of improvements, and the construction and delivery obligations that come before a tenant moves in.
Development and construction
Real estate development sits at the heart of our practice. We work with developers from early-stage planning through land use approvals, construction and design contracts, and close-out. The team also brings particular depth to historic preservation projects and transferable development rights.
Real estate finance
We represent both lenders and borrowers in real estate finance transactions. When loans run into trouble, our team also handles foreclosures and loan workouts, representing borrowers, guarantors or lenders. We also negotiate a variety of financing structures in support of affordable housing projects.
Structuring and capital
Many real estate deals require careful capital and entity structures. We work on joint ventures, syndication and other fund formation, public-private partnerships, contribution/distribution transactions, TIC structures, and Opportunity Zone investing, along with the entity selection and formation work that anchors those structures.
Specialized projects and properties
Otten Johnson has a long history with resort, hospitality and recreational developments, condominiums and master planned communities, timeshares and other fractional interest projects, and mountain, rural, and ranch real estate transactions across Colorado. We also handle conservation easement work for owners of significant Colorado properties.
Real estate work seldom stays in one lane. A development project might call for land use approvals, construction contracts, capital structuring, financing, and, if a dispute arises, litigation or other forms of dispute resolution. The same firm that closes the deal also has the land use, corporate finance, and litigation depth to handle whatever direction the project heads.
